Page 62 of Savage Hope

Is she for real right now?

“How about you tell me,” I grumble, watching intently as she wipes a hand down her face. A robe no longer drapes over her body as she stands before me in a pair of skinny jeans and a tank top.

She unfolds her arms from around her waist, waving her hands at her side as she tries to find an explanation. Like she’s going to find one that she thinks will make sense of whatever the hell that was. If she can find one that good, I’ll be more than impressed because it’s impossible, that I do know.

“We were just trying to…” Her words trail off, failing before they even really start, and I stand, glaring at her as I wipe my hands down my thighs.

“You were trying to do what? Make me do something against my will? Don't you think I've been through enough of that already? Don't you think I've lived at the hands of somebody else for long enough?”

The rage that coils inside me is unbounded as I release all the pent-up devastation I've endured this far.

“Polaris, I?—”

“I was starting to trust you, Bryony. I was starting totrustyou,” I growl, more than aware that I’m not even letting her speak, but she had plenty of time to talk back there and said nothing.

Nothing.

My heart hammers in my chest as she takes a step toward me. I lift my hand more firmly, halting her again.

“You still can,” she insists, and I cock my eyebrow.

“Can I? I said no, Bryony. I said stop, and my pleas went unheard. It was like I was in a room filled with…what did you call them? Cunts?”

Her head drops, her chin to her chest as she exhales heavily, silently admitting defeat. “Polaris, I'm sorry.”

An apology, yet the desperation inside of me doesn't subside. I turn away from her, unable to look at the reminder of what just happened.

The silence stretches between us, growing more uncomfortable with every passing minute, and I hear her shuffling from foot to foot. “I don't want to leave you here,” she says, and I scoff.

“And I don’t want to be near you right now.”

“We said we would stick together,” she pushes, and I shake my head, finally turning back to her.

“That was before,” I state, the emotion no longer clinging to my voice as defeat washes over me.

“Before what?” she asks, the sadness leaking into her tone, but I push on, letting the dejection take over me.

“Before I realized I'm safer being the loner I’ve always been.”

26

POLARIS

Seconds turn into minutes, which morph into hours before my eyes as I focus on nothing and everything all at once. The sun sets, casting a quaint array of colors across the sky before the shadows really creep in.

It’s funny how my heart slows as the moon rises and the murkiness of the night seeps in. If I were normal, I would have headed into one of the communal areas on campus, seeking strength in numbers from those around me, but I can’t seem to lift my head.

I’m perfectly nestled in what I have now claimed as my spot. The hedge is a few inches above my head, shielding me from view while also providing an extra layer of warmth as the temperature slowly drops.

The only thing keeping me warm right now are the emotions weighing heavy in my veins. The anger has subsided, an all too familiar sense of numbness ridding the rage from my bones as I focus on the one thing that stands out to me: survival.

I would rather place all bets on myself than a group of people who overlooked my response to their actions. There is no strength in that, no safety like I hoped and they had promised. I don’t remember my family; no matter how hard I try, it’simpossible. However, my gut tells me that what this coven was trying to offer isn’t what a family is about.

If it is, I want nothing to do with it. Count me out. I’ll take this road solo. I know I can count on myself and that’s all that matters.

Twirling my coin between my fingers, I hold it up to the muted light, embracing the comfort it always offers.

In the time I’ve been hiding here, contemplating my life, my next move, and my potential future, the main thing I have settled on is the fact that Iwantto be here. Iwantto advance and grow and be the best version of myself possible. Trinity Falls Academy is going to offer me everything I want, and things I don’t, and I’m willing to embrace it all, positive or negative.

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